Check-holder.



P. J. HAR'RIGAN.

CHI-30K HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Witnesses PATRICK J. I-IARRIGAN, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

CHECK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application filed August 21, 1908. Serial No. 449,747.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. HARRIGAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Steubenville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in check holders for use at mines, quarries, or other places where the workmen are credited on the token system.

It has heretofore been the custom, in mines or the like operating on the tonnage basis, for each workman to be given a number of checks or tokens with his number stamped thereon, these checks being ordinary disks of brass or other metal. When a car has been loaded, it is the custom for the workman to hang one of the checks on a hook or nail, provided on the car for this purpose, and the car is then hauled to the tipple and is there dumped and weighed, and marked to the credit of the workman whose number corresponds to the number on the check. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in carrying out this system, as

" above described, owing to the fact that in the first place, it is easy fora dishonest workman to remove a check while a car is in transit and substitute another check therefor thereby diverting the credit from the proper workman to the dishonest laborer. In attempting to offset this fraudulent removal and substitution of checks, it has been the practice of workmen to so fasten their checks to the car as to require the greatest time possible to remove the check from the hook, but manifestly this caused delay when the authorized party has attempted to remove the check from the hook after the car has reached the tipple, and a serious loss of time and a consequent loss in out-put has thus been occasioned.

With these facts in view, my invention has for its object, a simple, durable and efficient construction of holder for checks or tokens,

so positioned and arranged that unauthorized removal of the check in transit will be prevented, and to this end the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a face View of a portion of the side wall of a mining car or other receptacle, with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

If desired, my improved check holder may be composed of any integral structure of metal or other substance or material embodying a longitudinally elongated back 1, angularly disposed sides 2, and flanges 3 which emanate from the sides, and which extend inwardly toward each other in the same plane, as shown, parallel to the back 1; the inner edges 4 of said flanges 3 being spaced from each other as shown and extending inwardly toward the back 1 from which they are spaced. By this means, a casing or holder is produced which is formed with a longitudinally extending middle slot 5 opening rearwardly or inwardly in the applied position of the holder, a transversely elongated and longitudinally extending chamber 6 which communicates with the slot 5, and two longitudinally extending channels 7 which are included within the margins of the sides 2, flanges 3 and inwardly extending edges 4 of the flanges, these channels being in direct communication with the chamber 6 and opening upwardly or outwardly at the upper end of the holder when the same is in position.

In the practical application and use of my improved check holder, the holder is secured in an oblique position in one side or wall of a car or other receptacle, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 2, an upper screw 9 being employed for one of the fastening means in the present instance, while an oppositely facing similar screw 10 is inserted through the holder near the lower end thereof and serves as a stop for the check or token on which it may rest after it has been inserted into the slot. In the applied position of the holder, the slot 5 opens on the inside of the car or similar receptacle, while the upper ends of the chamberfi and channels 7 open at the outer side of the car.

In the practical use of my invention, the workman will slip his check or token down into the chamber 6, and it will fall downwardly therein until it rests upon the stud formed by the screw 10 or any other suitable stud, and the car will be loaded above the upper end of the holder so that the slot 5 will be closed while the car is in transit and effectually prevent any access being had to the token through said slot. After the car has reached the tipple or other place where it is to be unloaded, the token or check which is preferably of magnetic material may be easily removed before the car is unloaded by merely inserting a permanent magnet down into the channel or channels 7 so as to attract the token to it and thus withdraw the same at the upper end of the chamber 6, or the check may be similarly withdrawn by use of an electro-magnet placed at the upper end of the chamber. If the check or token happens to be of non-magnetic material is is obvious that it may be easily withdrawn by any suitable tool or key applied to the holder at the slot 5 and inserted underneath the check, but as this slot is covered at the screw 10, until the load is dumped, it is obvious that the fraudulent removal of the token by this means is effectually prevented.

It is to be understood that the edges t preferably extend downwardly below the point where the lower edge of the check rests on the stop which is formed by the screw 10. The purpose of these inwardly extending edges 4 of the channel 7 is to form protection to the check when in the holder, so that small pieces of coal or other substance will not bind the check and prevent the removal thereof by a magnet. Vith this c011- st-ruction any small pieces entering the out side slot after the check has been inserted would pass out through the channel 7 with out interfering with the check or clogging the opening above the check.

It is to be understood that the holder is of such depth, and that the outside opening or mouth thereof is so restricted that a permanent magnet of ordinary proportions and construction could not withdraw the token or check. And it is obvious that any unauthorized person with a special outfit to remove the token could easily be detected and punished, and besides, the chances for any unauthorized person having such a magnet in his possession are very remote.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a car or similar receptacle, of a holder secured thereto and arranged obliquely in one wall thereof, said holder being formed with an outwardly opening chamber designed for the reception of a. token and with inwardly extending flanges forming a slot in communication with said chamber.

2. A holder for the purpose specified formed with an outwardly opening chamber and with inwardly extending flanges forming a middle longitudinally extending slot communicating with said chamber, said flanges producing at opposite sides of the slot, longitudinally extending channels which also communicate with said chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK J. HARRIGAN. [L.s.l lVitnesses DANIEL F. LAFFERTY, E. J. DICKSON. 

